Special Department.
One-Eyed Man was messaging Hao Ren.
"Went a bit wild last night, huh?"
"Putting on an act?"
"Don't play dumb."
One-Eyed Man shook his head and chuckled. Ruthless indeed. Li Laifu's really unlucky to have crossed paths with Hao Ren. They both have abilities, and while they were definitely drunk at first, they sobered up quickly. Nothing happened to them.
The only one who suffered was Li Laifu.
Knock, knock!
"Come in."
Jin He Li, clicking in high heels and swaying her hips seductively, entered carrying a file.
"Chief, a magnitude 12 earthquake struck the United States last night. A mysterious giant beast appeared, destroying a city and killing over 40,000 people."
One-Eyed Man's expression, initially serious because Jin He Li's reports were always important, relaxed at the first half of the sentence. He lit a cigar.
"Oh."
A very calm response.
It wasn't their country, Longguo, facing this disaster.
Jin He Li continued, "The United States has contacted headquarters, requesting our assistance in dealing with the beast."
One-Eyed Man asked, "What did Old Master Xu say?"
"Old Master Xu said Xiadu is short-staffed and passed it on to us."
One-Eyed Man chuckled. "That old fox is good at passing the buck. Reply to the United States that we're facing a major crisis in Yanhai City and can't spare anyone. Tell them to figure it out themselves."
Normally, upon receiving this instruction, Jin He Li would simply relay the message and be done with it. However, she hesitated, feeling it best to voice her concerns.
"Chief, based on energy readings, that beast isn't something the United States can handle. If we let it be, the consequences could be disastrous."
One-Eyed Man held his cigar between two fingers, smoke obscuring his face. "Why do you care so much? Whether they live or die is their business. Our responsibility is to protect Longguo. What does anything else have to do with us?"
"Understood," Jin He Li replied.
As she was about to leave, One-Eyed Man added, "I have a long memory. Don't forget how the United States bullied us when they were powerful. When we were invaded by evil creatures and needed help, they refused. Who did we rely on in the end? Our own people, who charged forward without hesitation, trading their lives for the lives of those creatures. That's how we achieved victory."
"So, let them experience this for themselves."
One-Eyed Man was that kind of indifferent person.
Standing at the door, Jin He Li, still a woman at heart, thought of the lives lost, hoping innocent people could be saved.
But for One-Eyed Man, he wouldn't do anything that could harm his own country.
A beast that could stump the United States was definitely above the Heavenly King level.
Those capable of handling such a beast…
In Xiadu, it was Old Master Xu.
But he wouldn't go. That left only Yanhai City.
He himself was one.
Yongxin, Liu Haichan, and Lin Daoming could also manage.
Lin Fan went without saying.
He was an Extermination-level existence who wouldn't be deployed casually. As long as others didn't threaten Longguo, they could guarantee Lin Fan wouldn't be used.
Helping the United States would require two of them.
Yongxin was a must.
Either Liu Haichan or Lin Daoming would be the other.
However, he would never let them go. After so many incidents, they had finally reached this level of power. Furthermore, while the United States might appear pitiful, their true intention was always to maximize their own benefit.
Gratitude was just lip service for them.
Their greatest desire was profit.
In the corridor, Jin He Li answered a call.
The caller was a former classmate who had left Longguo, believing the country was inherently inadequate and too dangerous when it came to dealing with evil creatures.
"He Li, so, are you willing to help us?"
Jin He Li replied, "Xiao Xiao, I'm powerless. We don't have enough personnel to assist you. You'll have to resolve this issue yourselves."
A brief silence followed her words.
Then, the voice on the other end rose sharply. "Impossible! You have Lin Fan in Yanhai City. He's so powerful! If he's willing to come, all our problems would be solved."
Jin He Li repeated, "I'm powerless."
"No, you just don't want to help! Put Xu Zhengyang on the phone. I'll talk to him. He can't stand idly by! The beast is terrifying! Based on our calculations, even nuclear weapons can't destroy it. If this continues, our country will be completely annihilated!"
Xiao Xiao's voice was laced with desperation. She clearly hadn't expected such a decisive refusal. When she called Jin He Li, she never imagined Longguo would sit back and watch. She assumed that this call would guarantee their assistance. But now… she was almost frantic, as if doubting her own ears.
Jin He Li said, "I hope you can find a safe place to hide. Perhaps your country will find a solution."
Xiao Xiao pleaded, "You just don't want to help me! You're just going to watch us die, aren't you? Do you know that countless people are dying every moment? You're just watching them die! Don't you feel any guilt?"
Jin He Li frowned, her voice calm. "I can only express my sympathy for the casualties in your country. As for guilt, no, I don't feel any. My current priority in Yanhai City is protecting everyone in Longguo. Their peaceful lives are what I strive for."
"I'm busy. Goodbye."
Hanging up, Jin He Li continued her work, her expression unchanged.
Earlier, she had felt a pang of compassion, but the Chief's words weren't without merit.
Grudges don't disappear.
What goes around comes around. Never bully others.
Even if she wanted to help, she couldn't. I'm just a woman, a weak woman!
On the street, Lin Fan stood gazing at the sky.
Old Zhang asked curiously, "Lin Fan, what are you looking at?"
Lin Fan replied, "Shh, I'm communicating with the heavens."
"Oh, how amazing!" Old Zhang's eyes shone with admiration, proud that Lin Fan could converse with the heavens.
The Evil Chicken glanced at Old Zhang, thinking, This guy is definitely crazy. He says he's talking to the heavens, and you just believe him? I could say I'm talking to the earth.
Ginseng didn't doubt his master's words, his heart filled with awe. Communicating with the heavens was a realm achievable only by the most profound beings, a feat even his previous master couldn't accomplish.
The reward from the mission:
Control of the World's Will.
The heavens were active, their will constantly surging towards Lin Fan. When Lin Fan sensed the heavens, everything was unobstructed, just like the Saint Emperor back then, able to control the will of heaven and earth at will.
Keeping it eternally under his control.
Unable to escape.
Lin Fan didn't use the World's Will Control to dominate it. He merely communicated, teasing it playfully. He wouldn't restrict its freedom.
It would be like creating a cage and imprisoning a vibrant being within.
Trapped for eternity.
Forever bound to this place.
"Go. I just wanted to chat. I have no other intentions. Roam your world freely. If you encounter danger, you can always come to me."
Lin Fan instructed the will.
Recalling his dream, he understood how a will could be controlled by another, completely losing its freedom and becoming a slave.
The thought was pitiful.
"Alright, let's continue our patrol," Lin Fan said.
Old Zhang asked, "Did you finish communicating with it?"
"Yes, we had a pleasant chat. It was very grateful to me."
"Grateful for what?"
"Well, for not enslaving it. It's always been free."
"Oh, oh."
Old Zhang pretended to understand, feeling Lin Fan's words were profound and unfathomable. But that wasn't a problem; feigning comprehension was sufficient.
Ginseng exclaimed, "Master, you're saying you could enslave the will of heaven and earth?"
"Yes," Lin Fan replied with a smile.
He didn't consider it a good thing. He was happy with his life and saw no need to build his happiness on another's suffering.
If the will were enslaved and lost its freedom, it would surely be very sad.
"And you didn't?"
"No."
"Ah, my master! This was a golden opportunity! If you could enslave the will of heaven and earth, then this world would be yours! You would be the only god in this world, omnipotent, able to change the rules with a single thought!"
Ginseng was utterly astonished.
What kind of being was his current master, to be able to forgo such a grand opportunity?
"Oh," Lin Fan responded nonchalantly.
He didn't change his mind because of Ginseng's words. He had always been this way.
"Let's patrol," Lin Fan repeated.
Gradually, Ginseng's gaze towards Lin Fan changed.
"Truly different," Ginseng muttered to himself.
He knew that any powerful being faced with such an opportunity would be ecstatic, their face contorted with excitement. Controlling the will of heaven and earth was akin to being divinely empowered, unstoppable, unmatched.
Within the will's domain, one would be invincible.
But how could Ginseng know that the previous controller of the will, the Saint Emperor, had been beaten by Lin Fan until his prostate swelled, ultimately dying tragically, even the sky shattered by a single punch.
Invincible?
That was just other people's hype.
On another corner of the street, Sun Xiao was boasting to his livestream viewers.
"Hey everyone, I know what you all want to know. A massive earthquake hit the United States, a giant beast appeared, causing devastating losses. You all want to know if our Guardian Deity will help them, right? I'm working on getting you the answer. You might not know this, but our Guardian Deity, God Lin, usually patrols the streets with his old buddy. I'll ask him when I see him, but I can't guarantee I'll actually run into him."
"Huh!"
"There he is!"
Sun Xiao, now a popular streamer, had the highest viewership on the platform. Except for late-night streams, when the seductive ladies came online and stole his viewers, he dominated the daytime slots.
His sharp eyes spotted Lin Fan.
This was where the excitement began.